How to Beat the Quiet Time

“Focusing on hair health has been a big success story for me. A lot of clients grew out their hair during lockdown, which left a lot of split ends. Naturally as hairdressers we would want to get the optimum finish immediately, but I have found that by doing small trims instead of what needs to come off in one go I am able to maintain a staggered approach to rebooking and can break the cycle. This has been a benefit to my clients as it means they get to keep the length they have grown. By only cutting what is dead or absolutely essential I have seen better results and more bookings.”

Jonathan Andrew, Fudge Professional global brand ambassador

“Traditionally August has been a quieter month for our salons. After lockdown it was probably the busiest month for us in a long time! We ensured the majority of our clients rebooked before they left the salon. This meant we could plan ahead, promote our quieter stylists and keep on top of our cashflow. Clients were more than happy to rebook as they wanted to ensure they had an appointment if anything happened in future.”

Marcello Moccia, Room 97 Creative, Leeds and Wakefield

“Don’t be tempted to jump on the discount bandwagon! Instead, add value to your appointments with free gifts. Clients love this and it makes good business sense. Introduce a system where you give them a free product when they spend over a certain amount. This will help to fill the salon downtime as a client may decide to book a treatment alongside their cut to bring them over a certain threshold. Their hair will be cared for at home, you fill appointment slots and it will lead to more future sales. It’s a winner all round.”

Adele Clarke, Owner of Spectrum Hair Company and OSMO IKON brand ambassador

“To combat the gaps we’ve been trying to increase the average ticket. We’ve been focusing on suggesting appointments to really make our clients feel special. For example, if a client is booked in for a simple root touch-up, we would suggest some highlights too. This adds on to their bill and appointment time. It also demonstrates that we are proactive and actively suggesting different options for their hair. This also applies to haircuts. If a client is booked for a standard trim, we could suggest more of a restyle. This means we can charge more for this service.”

Ross Charles, owner Ross Charles Hairdressing, York

“Lockdown taught everyone the importance of having healthy hair and gave many a new understanding of what is involved in creating beautiful colour or a wearable cut. Everyone discovered a new-found respect for their hairdresser. Now is the time to invite them to come into the salon for a colour refresh between appointments and talk to them about the products they use at home. Clients shouldn’t be leaving the salon without professional products to care for their professional colour.” 

Warren Boodaghians, head of technical, HOB Academy